Hey kids, so I'm heading for Shimla early tomorrow morning yay! The weather is supposed to be beautiful and even a little chilly at night, what a novelty! Even though this week was only 3 days it felt sooo long because we had so many things to do and so much work ahh.
So I just wanted to reflect on Amritsar a little bit before Shimla pushes it out of my memory. The Golden Temple was one of the most stunning historical sites that I have ever been to. Not only was it impressive because of it's architectural beauty, but it was also such a haven of peace in the midst of such a crowded city. I felt so contented and calm, especially when we visited at night. It is still crowded, but I think it is a quieter sort of crowded, as it is very much in use as a place of religious worship for Sikhs. When we visited at night, I actually sat and sort of meditated for a little bit because it was so nice. I felt very complete there. I think part of the good feeling came from the fact that there is a large pool of water in the middle of the entire complex. The actual temple is in the center of the water, which is surrounded by pillared halls that are completely white.
Anyways, I've known for awhile that I'm a water baby and that I feel most at home in and next to large bodies of water (preferably oceans or lakes), but every time that I go away from water and then come back to it again it fully hits me how much better I feel with water. We are pretty landlocked here, so even just this sort of holy lake really re-awakened me to my need of water.
Another cool thing about the temple is the kitchen. The temple complex is always open, 24/7, including a giant kitchen and dining area which can fit something like 6,000 people. All of the people who work in the kitchen are just people (mostly if not all Sikhs) who are volunteering there. It was really amazing to see this mass production of food, made and given for free. I mean, what a great thing to do.
Amritsar is right on the border of India and Pakistan, and is actually one of the only safe crossing zones into Pakistan. So while we were there we went to this flag lowering ceremony at the border, aka I saw Pakistan. Apparently in around 2007 Pakistan and India decided that they were going to try to be at least civil to one another officially, so this ceremony was established in which the border crossing guards of both nations lower their flags simultaneously and shake hands at sunset. The part which came as a surprise to me was that its sort of like an Indian 4th of July celebration. Literally people sell popcorn and little plastic Indian flags and flag-colored armbands right before the border. You get to this gate through which you can see Pakistan and it is just PACKED with people (on the Indian side at least, not nearly as many people on the Pakistan side). Both countries are playing very loud music and everyone is waving flags and shouting HINDUSTAN or PAKISTAN. Then the actual ceremony starts and guards from both sides go through this elaborate series of steps and high-kicks in order to walk to the gate. Finally the flags are lowered together and then everyone shouts some more and leaves. It was just so bizarre because it was like a nationalistic athletic competition between the two nations. It was really a spectacle. Here's a video of the India side before the ceremony started:
So tired and getting up early, so to be continued!
नमसतॆ
So I just wanted to reflect on Amritsar a little bit before Shimla pushes it out of my memory. The Golden Temple was one of the most stunning historical sites that I have ever been to. Not only was it impressive because of it's architectural beauty, but it was also such a haven of peace in the midst of such a crowded city. I felt so contented and calm, especially when we visited at night. It is still crowded, but I think it is a quieter sort of crowded, as it is very much in use as a place of religious worship for Sikhs. When we visited at night, I actually sat and sort of meditated for a little bit because it was so nice. I felt very complete there. I think part of the good feeling came from the fact that there is a large pool of water in the middle of the entire complex. The actual temple is in the center of the water, which is surrounded by pillared halls that are completely white.
Anyways, I've known for awhile that I'm a water baby and that I feel most at home in and next to large bodies of water (preferably oceans or lakes), but every time that I go away from water and then come back to it again it fully hits me how much better I feel with water. We are pretty landlocked here, so even just this sort of holy lake really re-awakened me to my need of water.
Another cool thing about the temple is the kitchen. The temple complex is always open, 24/7, including a giant kitchen and dining area which can fit something like 6,000 people. All of the people who work in the kitchen are just people (mostly if not all Sikhs) who are volunteering there. It was really amazing to see this mass production of food, made and given for free. I mean, what a great thing to do.
Amritsar is right on the border of India and Pakistan, and is actually one of the only safe crossing zones into Pakistan. So while we were there we went to this flag lowering ceremony at the border, aka I saw Pakistan. Apparently in around 2007 Pakistan and India decided that they were going to try to be at least civil to one another officially, so this ceremony was established in which the border crossing guards of both nations lower their flags simultaneously and shake hands at sunset. The part which came as a surprise to me was that its sort of like an Indian 4th of July celebration. Literally people sell popcorn and little plastic Indian flags and flag-colored armbands right before the border. You get to this gate through which you can see Pakistan and it is just PACKED with people (on the Indian side at least, not nearly as many people on the Pakistan side). Both countries are playing very loud music and everyone is waving flags and shouting HINDUSTAN or PAKISTAN. Then the actual ceremony starts and guards from both sides go through this elaborate series of steps and high-kicks in order to walk to the gate. Finally the flags are lowered together and then everyone shouts some more and leaves. It was just so bizarre because it was like a nationalistic athletic competition between the two nations. It was really a spectacle. Here's a video of the India side before the ceremony started:
So tired and getting up early, so to be continued!
नमसतॆ
the ceremony looks *superfun*. wish i could be there with you!
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